Palm + Pine Marketing and Design Highlights How Growth Barriers Are Slowing Maryland’s Small-Business Formation
ANNAPOLIS, Md., Nov. 5, 2025 – Maryland’s small-business sector is encountering notable headwinds. According to the Maryland Chamber of Commerce, in 2024, the state recorded 152,999 new business applications, a 6 % drop from the prior year, ranking it 9th among states per capita. Meanwhile, data from the U.S. Census Bureau confirm that Maryland continues to lag in business-application growth compared with leading states.
These trends matter for small businesses in places like Annapolis and across Maryland. Fewer applications mean fewer potential employers. A recent profile from the U.S. Small Business Administration shows that there were 668,365 small businesses in Maryland in 2024 – representing 99.6% of all firms in the state – and accounting for 1.1 million jobs (roughly 48.6% of private-sector employment). But while small businesses drive a large share of employment, launch and survival rates are showing stress.
Into this difficult environment steps Palm + Pine Marketing and Design, a women-owned branding, web-design, and digital-marketing agency based in Annapolis. The firm’s mission: to partner with small, local businesses not just to survive but to grow despite the structural challenges.
“We see entrepreneurs in Maryland facing structural headwinds,” says Co-Founder and Marketing Strategist Diana Rapine. “What we provide is clarity, outreach, and consistency so a business can grow intelligently, even when times are tough.”
Palm + Pine’s strategy emphasises three core pillars:
- Brand authenticity – helping businesses craft a distinctive local narrative that resonates.
- Digital visibility – enhancing websites, SEO, social media, and online marketing to reach active customers.
- Community engagement – strengthening connections to the regional business ecosystem and deeper local networks.
Hailey Shackelford, Co-Founder and Creative Director, adds: “When fewer businesses are launching and fewer are growing, local companies must work smarter – not just harder.”
Palm + Pine serves boutique retailers, restaurants, service professionals, and non-profits across Annapolis and the greater Maryland region. Leveraging expertise in helping small businesses stand out in a competitive marketplace, the agency is committed to supporting entrepreneurs in building growth-oriented, sustainable enterprises.
About Palm + Pine Marketing and Design
Founded in 2023 and located in Annapolis, Maryland, Palm + Pine Marketing and Design is a women-owned agency serving small businesses across the state.
The firm combines strategic insight, creative design, and local market know-how to deliver branding, web design, logo development, social-media management, SEO, marketing support, capability-statement design, business coaching, and multi-channel marketing solutions.
Palm + Pine collaborates closely with Maryland entrepreneurs to create distinctive brand narratives, enhance online visibility, and strengthen community ties. Through personalized, results-driven services, the agency helps businesses attract customers, navigate challenging conditions, and pursue sustainable growth.
For more information, visit www.palmpine.design
Media Contact:
Palm + Pine Marketing and Design
View us on social media:
